Archive

  • 'French trip spared me NHS wait'

    A man crippled with arthritic pain went to France for a hip replacement after being told he would have to wait six months on the NHS. Tony Singleton, 47, of Bagley Closein Kennington, decided to pay £6,800 to be treated at a private clinic in Abbeville

  • Cannabis couple 'needed drug for pain relief'

    A couple caught growing £7,000-worth of cannabis were spared jail after telling a judge they used it to battle ME and alcoholism. Stephen Clarke, 41,and partner Angela Moore, 40, said they needed the drug for medicinal use for ME and alcoholism respectively

  • £45,000 in a week from cameras

    Drivers ignoring a ban on traffic in Oxford's city centre are facing fines of over £45,000 after just a week. Traffic enforcement cameras - one of the first of their kind outside London and located in the High Street, Castle Street, Magdalen Street

  • Today's local share prices (PM)

    AEA Technology 104.75 BMW 2993 Electrocomponents 300.25 Isoft Group 33 Oxford Biomedica 49 Oxford Instruments 246.25 Reed Elsevier 614.75 RM 182.75 RPS Group 341.75 Oxonica 127.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Marquess in court

    The Marquess of Blandford has lost a bid to keep secret the fact he has been charged with dangerous driving and had a warrant out for his arrest. The Duke of Malborough's son, Charles Spencer-Churchill, was charged with the offence on March 20 after

  • Blandford fined £50 for missing court date

    THE Marquess of Blandford has been fined £50 for missing a court appearance. He has also lost a legal bid to keep secret the fact he has been charged with dangerous driving and had a warrant out for his arrest. The Duke of Malborough's son Charles

  • County reshuffles cabinet

    Oxfordshire County Council has re-shuffled its decision-making cabinet and added two new members. Tory councillor Ian Hudspeth, who represents Woodstock, has been made cabinet member for transport implementation, taking over from David Robertson who

  • County reshuffles cabinet posts

    OXFORDSHIRE County Council has re-shuffled its decision-making cabinet and added two new members. Tory councillor Ian Hudspeth, who represents Woodstock, has been made cabinet member for transport implementation. David Robertson becomes cabinet member

  • Harvey does the double

    OXFORD racing driver Tim Harvey was in dominant form as he won twice in the opening two rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch. Harvey was racing for Red Line Racing in the prestigious race series for identical 400 horsepower, 170mph racing

  • Asbo served on Rose Hill teenager

    A TEENAGE yob has been given an Asbo banning him from Oxford's Rose Hill estate. Ricky Tremlett, 16, of Donnington Bridge Road, Oxford, was served the antisocial behaviour order by Oxford magistrates. Tremlett admitted antisocial behaviour, minor

  • Teenager banned from city estate

    A teenage yob has been given an Asbo banning him from Oxford's Rose Hill estate. Ricky Tremlett, 16, of Donnington Bridge Road, Oxford, yesterday was served the antisocial behaviour order by Oxford magistrates yesterday Tremlett admitted antisocial

  • Image of burglar released

    This is the face of a burglar who was caught by a resident in a house in Watlington. The householder found two men inside his front door at 10.40am on Monday, March 12. He challenged them and they ran off, joined by a third man. They got away in

  • Do you know this burglar?

    THIS is the face of a burglar who was caught by a resident in a house in Watlington. The householder found two men inside his front door at 10.40am on Monday, March 12. He challeneged them and they ran off, joined by a third man. They got away in

  • Murder detectives seek phone user

    Police want to speak to a woman who they believe may be able to help them find the killer of Enayit Khalili. Mr Khalili, 26, was found injured at his home in Fiennes Road, Rose Hill on Saturday, March 24 at 3.30am. He died later that day. A week later

  • Murder hunt police try to trace woman

    DETECTIVES investigating the murder of Enayit Khalili in Oxford are appealing for a woman to come forward who may be able to help them find his killer. They believe she was using a telephone kiosk on the corner of Fiennes Road and Ashurst Road, Rose

  • Women warned of purse snatchers

    WOMEN shoppers are being warned to take extra care after a spate of purse thefts in Banbury. Five purses were stolen last week and three more thefts have been reported this week. Most of the incidents happened in the town centre, but shoppers at Morrisons

  • Drug traces found in night sweep

    TEN people were found with traces of cocaine at the launch of a Nightsafe campaign in Henley. Police used search arches, similar to those used at airports, and a drug testing machine. The arches were set up at The Slug and Lettuce, Rivers Nightclub

  • Today's local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 105 BMW 2975 Electrocomponents 294.5 Isoft Group 32.75 Oxford Biomedica 49.5 Oxford Instruments 247.25 Reed Elsevier 613.25 RM 185 RPS Group 341.75 Oxonica 127.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • RUGBY UNION: Bicester hold on

    BICESTER had to fight hard for a 24-19 victory at Swindon College in the BB&O Premier Division to set up a final day promotion showdown with Slough. Flanker Nathan Bedford-Forrest opened the scoring for Swindon with a try that centre Anthony Criddle

  • Batteries catch fire

    FIREFIGHTERS were called after a fire broke out in a drum full of lithium batteries at a recycling centre in Ewelme. Appliances from Rewley Road, Watlington and Wallingford were called at 4.30pm yesterday to a fire in a 45-gallon drum of waste lithium

  • Lorry damaged in depot blaze

    A LORRY containing paper products was severely damaged by fire when it caught alight last night at an Asda depot in Didcot. Paper products on board the 40ft lorry were damaged in the fire which happened at Southmead Industrial estate in Didcot 8.48pm

  • RUGBY: Chinnor crash to leaders

    Relegated Chinnor were no match for leaders Southend, losing 49-5 in Essex. Things looked bleak once prop Paddy Conlon was sin-binned in the first minute and Southend never let up the pressure. Chinnor's only try came through John Pritchard after

  • RUGBY: Burns keeps Hawks flying high

    Henley Hawks kept themselves in the National League 2 promotion picture with a 32-16 victory at Halifax, which included a crucial bonus point. The first 20 minutes saw a tough battle up front with Halifax seeming to get the better of referee Steve Lander's

  • RUGBY: Quins face battle to stay up

    Oxford Harlequins were plunged into the South West 1 relegation battle after an embarrassing 26-7 defeat at Clevedon, who have already gone down. Quins were as high as second in the early part of the season and have been mid-table until recently.

  • RUGBY: Super Witney down Amersham

    A depleted Witney side put in one of their best performances of the season as they beat Amersham 39-10 win against in Southern Counties North at Hailey Road. From their skill and commitment, you would not have known Witney were missing four of the side

  • DARTS: Kidlington send Shelley tumbling

    Kidlington Green Social Club produced one of the biggest shocks in the league's history as the Section 5 side dumped Shelley Arms D out in the first round of the Ladies' Seven-a-side Cup with a 5-1 win. Shelley, packed full of county players, started

  • SWIMMING: City claim second in finale

    City of Oxford claimed the runners-up spot in the final round of the Home Counties League at Aylesbury. And Witney also produced some good performances to secure fourth. City's Sam Tokelove won the 50m freestyle and breaststroke in the 11 and under

  • Batteries catch on fire

    Firefighters were called after a fire broke out in a drum full of lithium batteries at a recycling centre in Ewelme. Appliances from Rewley Road, Watlington and Wallingford were called at 4.30pm on Monday to a fire in a 45-gallon drum of waste lithium

  • Lorry fire at Asda depot

    A lorry containing paper products was severely damaged by fire when it caught alight on Monday night at an ASDA depot in Didcot. Paper products on board the 40ft lorry were damaged in the fire which happened at Southmead Industrial estate in Didcot

  • RUGBY: Hicks praises Witney troops

    Witney captain Jez Hicks was delighted with his side's display. He said: "We had a couple of really hard games where results went against us, so I was really pleased that we turned it around. "We knew we had to get on top and dominate up front, but

  • DARTS: Tributes paid to Shirley Lawrence

    Tributes paid to THE Greene King ODDA is mourning the death of Shirley Lawrence. Mrs Lawrence, who died last Thursday, played for the league's most successful team, The Shears, Wantage. She was a strong player during the Shears' complete dominance

  • Bioscience park project gets go-ahead

    A property company is investing more than £30m in a new 'bioscience campus' at Milton Park, near Abingdon. MEPC, which owns the business park, is poised to start work on the site at the entrance to the park after winning planning permission from the

  • Lettings site is snapped up

    A company which lists holiday homes on the Internet has been taken over by a property giant. Holiday Lettings, which is based in Oxford, has been bought for an undisclosed sum by Rightmove, which until now has focused largely on properties for sale

  • Join the big debate over ole chestnut

    Cycle helmets: that ole chestnut . . . Once a year, a cyclist has a collision which prompts a neurologist and/or the police to pronounce that the victim would have died had he or she not been wearing a helmet - ergo, helmets should be compulsory and we'll

  • Shoppers driven out

    I think I owe the Abingdon traffic planners an apology. When Stratton Way was improved, there was total gridlock around town. I resisted the temptation to write a letter then and gradually the situation appears to be changing. Although Ock Street

  • Pensioners caught in the middle

    The Government did its usual trick when it came to concessionary bus fares - make a decision, then let someone else pay for it. The someone else in this case is the poor council taxpayer. Ministers decided that pensioners should be entitled to free

  • Say no to golf course homes

    Leave Southfield Golf Course alone! David Manners (Oxford Mail, March 29) speaks as if it is OK to take any bit of green land to fulfil the need to build student accommodation for Oxford Brookes University. He says that to use college sports grounds

  • Murder accused has autism, jury told

    A man accused of murdering Sean Miles after beating and stripping him and dumping him in a river did not understand the gravity of the situation because he is autistic, a jury heard yesterday. Terry McMaster, 24, of Alice Smith Square in Littlemore

  • Residents win mast fight

    Residents opposing plans for a mobile phone mast near their homes in north Oxford have won their battle after demonstrating outside the city council's planning office. Last month, home owners demonstrated outside the office, in St Ebbe's, after T-Mobile

  • On the right lines

    Chiltern Railways is the must punctual of all Britain's main line operators, according to new statistics from the Rail Regulator. Overall, 95.2 per cent of Chiltern's services arrived on time or within five minutes of scheduled time between October

  • Full Stein ahead for London Marathon runner

    Medical student Kate Stein will have a few familiar faces cheering her on when she crosses the line to complete the London Marathon. While Miss Stein's father, Magdalen College don Professor John Stein, will be out of the country, her uncle, celebrity

  • M40 crash man cut free

    A MAN was cut out of his car by firefighters after it overturned on the M40 near Banbury. The accident happened at shortly after 1pm yesterday and police, fire and ambulance were called to the scene. A red Mondeo car, which was travelling south between

  • Killer jailed

    AN estranged husband has been found guilty of stabbing to death a man and his lover. Alex Marshall, 37, was convicted yesterday of murdering Richard Flippance, 44, of Roundhead Drive, Thame, and his lover Fiona Marshall, 41, in a house in Northamptonshire

  • Rave on the Ridgeway is thwarted

    Dozens of people were turfed off the Ridgeway by police as they turned up for an illegal rave. The ancient 'green road' which runs along the Downs south of Wantage has been a popular spot for several impromptu gatherings in recent years, sometimes attracting

  • Joyriding cut as worst offenders rounded up

    There has been a significant drop in joyriding and car thefts across Oxford, say police. The number of vehicles stolen has fallen by 11 per cent in the past year, while thefts from vehicles dropped by 14 per cent. Police believe the drop in car crime

  • Free bus pass row drags on

    A row over the cost of free bus travel in Oxford could be resolved by Government ministers. At the heart of the disagreement is the fact neither the city council nor Oxford's two major bus operators - Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach - can agree on

  • Businesses get fines over bins

    Two Oxford city centre businesses have been handed their final warning after being fined for failing to manage trade waste for a second time. Clothing store Top Shop, in Queen Street, and Colours Sports Bar, in St Ebbe's Street, have been given £100

  • Jamie’s right on cue

    For someone who didn't know which end of the cue to use, Jamie Saczak has made astonishing progress on the pool and snooker tables of Oxfordshire. And now he has earned himself a place in the England squad for the Youth World Pool Championships. Jamie

  • Asylum centre 'should close'

    A former detainee at Campsfield House detention centre has joined protesters demanding the facility should close. At a demonstration outside the centre, in Langford Lane, Kidlington, on Saturday, campaigners held signs, chanted and sang in the first

  • Team to tackle rubbish problems

    OXFORD City Council is spending £100,000 on a new litter-collection team to ease fears about a rise in rubbish-related public health problems since the switch to fortnightly refuse collection. The job of the two-person team, who will be equipped with

  • £1m homes on the increase

    THE number of million-pound homes sold in Oxfordshire has more than doubled in the past year. In 2006, 111 homes in the county were sold for more than £1m - up from just 51 in the previous year. There were 23 homes in Oxford that fetched a seven-figure

  • Inquiry off to stormy start

    CAMPAIGNERS made angry outbursts yesterday as they began their final attempt to save a Radley lake from becoming a power station's dumping ground. More than 80 people were at the first hearing of a four-day inquiry over whether to give village green

  • Teams to tackle rubbish problems

    If something smells in your neighbourhood, who are you going to call? From later this year, it will be Oxford City Council's rapid response waste busters. To ease fears about a rise in rubbish-related public health problems since the switch to fortnightly

  • Houses of the rising sum

    The number of million-pound homes sold in Oxfordshire has more than doubled in the past year. It comes after the Oxford Mail yesterday revealed there is now a five-year wait for council houses in the city. In 2006, 111 homes in the county were sold

  • Mick tackles gangs of Rio

    A former Oxford United groundsman became an instant celebrity when he fought off a street gang while on holiday in Brazil and them helped police catch his attackers. Mick Moore, head groundsman at St John's College, flew to South America with wife Sandra

  • Inquiry off to stormy start

    Campaigners made angry outbursts yesterday as they began their final attempt to save a Radley lake from becoming a power station's dumping ground. More than 80 people were at the first hearing of a four-day inquiry over whether to give village green

  • A game to forget - but at least we got a point

    SOMETIMES 0-0 draws aren't a fair reflection on what happened on the pitch – Saturday's game against the Marmite munchers was just that – a bore draw. The only plus point is that United kept a clean sheet and didn't concede a stupid goal at the end. Burton

  • Tourist becomes instant celebrity

    A FORMER Oxford United groundsman became an instant celebrity when he fought off a street gang while on holiday in Brazil and them helped police catch his attackers. Mick Moore, head groundsman at St John's College, flew to South America with wife Sandra

  • SPEEDWAY: Cheetahs crash to record Elite League home defeat

    It was an annihilation as Oxford Cheetahs crashed to their heaviest Sky Sports Elite League home defeat last night. Poor Cheetahs came up against a Coventry Bees side buzzing from the off and they never let their rivals off the hook in front of the

  • FOOTBALL: Chasing pack out to close the gap

    A number of the clubs chasing a play-off place in the Nationwide Conference can close the gap on Oxford United tonight. Third-placed Morecambe travel to bottom club St Albans, Exeter go to Aldershot, Gravesend host Halifax and Stevenage are at home

  • FOOTBALL: Smith slams McClaren treatment as 'disgraceful'

    Jim Smith has branded the treatment of England manager Steve McClaren by the media and fans as "disgraceful". Former Oxford United midfielder and coach McClaren has been subjected to vilification by the national tabloids, and ridiculed by the broadsheets

  • FOOTBALL: Powell misses Didcot mission

    Didcot Town will be without Paul Powell when they travel to British Gas Business Southern League Division 1 South & West leaders Bashley tonight. The former Oxford United star has an ankle injury, and Gary Wickens is added to the squad. Boss Stuart

  • FOOTBALL: Poulter fires Hawks to title

    Oxford Hawks 2nd clinched the Premier 2 league title in the Trysports 3 Counties Women's League by beating Banbury 2nd 4-2 away on Saturday. Kathryn Poulter scored twice, and Hawks' other goals came from Sue Clark and Annie Lissington. Hawks cannot

  • DARTS: Oxon lead cut despite victory

    Oxfordshire stayed top of Division 2 of Inter-Counties League after a 24-15 victory against Norfolk. But it's still tight at the top of with chief rivals Somerset and County Durham winning by bigger margins to move within a point behind leaders Oxfordshire

  • Villagers glad post box is back

    VILLAGERS who have been without a post box for the past two years have said they are delighted it has finally been replaced. Residents of Old Marston saw their old post box removed two years ago after it was damaged during building work to convert the

  • A game to forget - but at least we got a point

    SOMETIMES 0-0 draws aren't a fair reflection on what happened on the pitch – Saturday's game against the Marmite munchers was just that – a bore draw. The only plus point is that United kept a clean sheet and didn't concede a stupid goal at the end. Burton

  • A game to forget - but at least we got a point

    SOMETIMES 0-0 draws aren't a fair reflection on what happened on the pitch – Saturday's game against the Marmite munchers was just that – a bore draw. The only plus point is that United kept a clean sheet and didn't concede a stupid goal at the end. Burton

  • Languages are on offer

    SEVERAL language courses are on offer at Thame adult education centre this summer. French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese are all available for students from beginners to advanced levels. Other courses include English literature, computing, making

  • Woman guilty of using racist words

    A MOTHER-OF-TWO who told her neighbours to "go back where they came from" was convicted of racially-aggravated harassment. Banbury Magistrates' Court heard Elaine Pontefract, of New Street, Bicester, was angry about her neighbours' loft conversion and

  • Mime artists promote city recycling

    STREET performers used mime to spread the recycling message to Oxford's multicultural community. Eight mime artists greeted shoppers in Cowley Road with silent performances. Using only a recycling box as a prop, the painted-faced performers attracted

  • Fantastic folk

    HUNDREDS of folk music lovers attended the fourth Oxford Folk Festival at the weekend. Organisers said the festival, which used the town hall in St Aldate's as its main venue, had been a great success. Tim Healey, festival director, said: "It has

  • Blown up out of proportion

    A 14ft inflatable lapwing landed in Wolvercote to promote a new bird survey. As part of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds questionnaire, members of the public are being asked to send in their sightings of lapwings. RSPB staff set up their

  • Revellers have a ball at the hall

    REVELLERS will be donning their best suits and gowns to help raise £4,000 for two Oxford hospices. Volunteers are staging a glittering charity ball to raise funds for Helen and Douglas House, in East Oxford. The event, at Eynsham Hall, near Witney

  • Lord Mayor takes to the water

    OXFORD'S Lord Mayor Jim Campbell spent an hour lazing about on the river to launch a waterways festival, as part of Oxfordshire's Millennium celebrations. Mr Campbell, pictured with wife Margie, called at the Aziz restaurant at Folly Bridge to publicise

  • Man 'failed to understand attacks'

    A MAN accused of beating and stripping a man and then dumping him in the river did not understand the "gravity of the situation" because he is autistic, a jury heard yesterday. Terry McMaster, 24, of Alice Smith Square in Littlemore denies murdering